Something Good
by Symphonic Madness
Summary: Elsanna High School AU/Non-Incest: Roped into it by a school counselor, Anna signs up to provide support to a young man with special needs. This wouldn't be an issue, except his foster sister is an ice queen with a bossy attitude and amazing hips. Through their desire to help Olaf, they call a truce and find their differences are not that extreme, after all. Rated M for reasons.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! This isn't my first _Frozen_ fanfic, however, it is my first fic featuring Elsanna. I ask that you not flame me for this, for it only adds more fire to my burning, passionate love for all things Elsanna.**

**Shout out and mega-thanks to my beta for this story, the wickedly talented ATHPluver. Go check out her stuff, guys. She's a rockstar.**

**Also, to fit the flow of the story, I took some liberties with the age differences between the characters. They are as follows:**

**Elsa and Rapunzel: 17 (seniors)**

**Eugene: 18 (senior)**

**Kristoff, Anna, and Sven: 16 (juniors)**

**Olaf: 14 (freshman)**

**Besides the fact that I love you all, that is all I feel I need to say. Cheers!**

**-SM**

**P.S. I am loathe to admit that don't own _Frozen. _**

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><p>The first time Elsa sees Anna, she wonders what sane parent would let their daughter dress like that.<p>

With black skinny jeans that look like they were put through a wood chipper, combat boots, plaid, button-up shirt left open with a black camisole underneath, and piercings – a stud in her nose and mismatched metal ears that mimic the rings of Elsa's shower curtain – Elsa can't help but pity the girl's poor ancestors, who are undoubtedly perpetually spinning in their graves at the wardrobe of their descendant. And then there's the tattoo. The words, "Love is an open door" are written in messy, cursive scrawl along the length of her inner forearm. How old is she? Sixteen? Lord help her father.

But then, Anna smiles, and it knocks Elsa's brain for a loop. It isn't a sweet, love-at-first-sight-inducing kind of smile. It's a pirate smile that reeks of mischief and bad intentions. Suddenly, it's clear to Elsa why her first meeting of this girl is in detention.

And when she meets the redhead's eyes, and her grin turns even jauntier, Elsa's heart has the nerve to flutter a little.

* * *

><p>"You needed to see me, Grand Pabbie?"<p>

"Ah, yes. Hello, Anna. Come on in," the wizened school counselor says, beckoning a cautious redhead into his tiny office with a wrinkled hand. "Glad to see you were able to make it."

"Look, if this is about me punching that Hans kid in the face—"

He puts his hand up to halt Anna's guilty babbling before it got to be too much, a low chuckle forcing the edges of his mouth upwards in a fond smile. "As much as I would like to explore that aspect of your psyche, I believe the principal handled your consequences well enough for the time being. As for why I called you here out of detention, I would like to inform you that I just spoke with your mother."

"_What?!_"

Pabbie ignores her. "We are concerned about this ongoing rebellious behavior you've been exhibiting as of late. Luckily, though, I believe I have a solution. By chance, are you are aware of the Peer to Peer program?"

"I think so. Isn't it where normal kids get paired up with the special ed kids so they actually have friends or something?" Anna asks.

"I wouldn't word it that way, but essentially you are correct." Grand Pabbie nods. "The Peer to Peer program brings students in general education together with students with special needs and other learning disabilities. These peer supports, as we call them, offer assistance to those students in managing their disability. Whether it's helping them organize their belongings, keeping them focused on classwork, or even just providing some good company."

"Alright. So what does this have to do with me?"

"Your mother and I both think it would benefit you to be a peer support in the program. She just signed the paperwork today, actually," Grand Pabbie says, grinning at Anna's astonished expression. He sifts through the papers on his desk until he finds the one he's looking for. "Have you, by chance, ever met Olaf Bjorgman? Because of your age difference I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't."

"I've heard of him, and have seen him in the hallway, I think," Anna says. "He's a freshman, right?"

Grand Pabbie nods again. "Right. I think that you would be a great source of help for Olaf. As much as you may deny it, there's a sweet, kindhearted, little girl somewhere beneath the punk; one who absolutely loved to sit on my lap while I read you fairy tales."

Anna blushes, but masks it with a roll of her eyes. "Whatever, gramps. So am I Olaf's only peer support?"

"No, actually. His foster brother and sister are acting as peer supports for him as well."

"Alright. So who are they and when will I get to meet them?"

"I'll bring them to you towards the end of the day, and then we can discuss things more in my office. But for right now, I think you'd best be getting back to Mr. Weselton's room to continue on with detention." Pabbie smirks.

"But Grand Pabbie, I've been in there all day! Can't I just be an amoeba in your office for the rest of the day?" Anna whines.

"Unlike you, missy, I've actually got work to do." Pabbie grins and shoos Anna out with a wave of his liver-spotted hand.

"Ugh. Fine," Anna groans. "But you'd better come for me, sir!"

"Is that a threat, Miss?"

"No. It's a promise."

Quick as a whistle, Anna bounds out of the office and begins ambling back to Mr. Weselton's room to resume her second day of a week-long detention sentence. She must admit, the school was a lot more lenient than she would have expected. Punching a kid in the face – even if it was somewhat justified by the fact that the guy was an enormous prick – was not an offense usually taken lightly. Anna feels that Grand Pabbie probably played a hand in ensuring her punishment was not as severe as it could have been. After all, he was friends with her grandmother.

The thought of Lorraine makes Anna's energetic mood plummet down to something akin to raw anguish. Even four years after her passing, the spritely redhead still feels the brunt of her grief as if it just happened. Shaking herself out of her self-pity, she continues her languorous shuffle down the hall towards the detention room. In a burst of spiteful obnoxiousness, she barrels through the heavy, wooden door, causing all occupants of the otherwise silent room to snap their heads in her direction.

"Mr. Weeeaaaseltooown!" Anna bellows in a singsong voice. "I'm baaaack!"

"Young lady, you will sit down and be quiet this instant!" Mr. Weselton barks, his voice reminiscent of an outraged chihuahua with a snotty British accent. "Is this fun for you? Are you enjoying your little stay here?"

"Why of course, Mr. Weaseltown," Anna swallows the laugh building in her throat when the old man's scowl intensifies. As funny is it may be, she must stay in character. "What's more fun for me than making sure you get plenty of time with your favorite student?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you should ask Mr. Thatch when he doesn't hand you your diploma. With the path you're on, young lady, I would expect you to drop out by the end of the semester." Mr. Weselton's smile is positively sadistic, and it makes Anna's vision turn scarlet in uncensored rage.

"Whoa there, Feistypants!" Anna's friend, Eugene, says as he springs from his desk in order to restrain her. "He's just trying to provoke you. Don't listen to him!"

"I've been on the B Honor Roll my whole fucking high school career, Weaseltown!" Anna screeches as she fights to free herself from Eugene's vice-like embrace. "You and the rest of this goddamn institution are a bunch of p…" Eugene's hand clamps over her mouth to prevent her from spewing any more dangerous words.

"Easy there, Red—Yeouch!"

Anna bit him.

Regardless of his fingers, now throbbing with pain, he keeps his hand closed over her mouth while he drags her back over to the desk beside his own. Once he sits down, Anna digs her fingers into the neckline of his shirt and yank him towards her.

"Next time, don't hold me back, Fitzherbert," she seethes.

"First, don't refer to me by my real name. It hurts my bad boy reputation." This earns him an eye roll from the redhead holding him captive. "Second, what am I supposed to do? Let you get expelled for kicking the shit out of The Weasel? Rapunzel would never forgive me if I let you do this to yourself."

"So your fear of my cousin dumping you is the only reason you feel the need to do this?" Anna scoffs.

"Christ, Anna. Cut that shit out. You know I care a hell of a lot about you, Rapunzel or no Rapunzel," Eugene says, freeing himself from Anna's grip at last. "You've been an aggravating little pain in my ass since I met you. But I still care."

"My knight in shining smolder," Anna deadpans. When Eugene's face remains hard, Anna sighs. "Alright. I won't do anything stupid."

It's Eugene's turn to scoff. "I've heard that one before."

"Yeah, and so have Rapunzel and I."

"Touché."

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><p>"Mr. Weselton, might I snag Miss Reid for the remainder of the day?" Grand Pabbie asks, poking his head in the door.<p>

"May I inquire as to why you need her when we still have…" he glances at the clock. "An hour left of detention?"

"I don't believe that is any of your concern. If you have an issue with it, I suggest you take it up with Mr. Thatch. Miss Reid?"

Anna stands from her desk and moves to leave, but not without giving Eugene a farewell salute and shooting a smug grin at Mr. Weselton. Eugene's responding salute and chuckle is the last thing Anna sees before her vision is clouded with the most alluring pair of spectacles she has ever seen.

The first time Anna sees Elsa, she wonders how it's possible for glasses to add sex appeal to a person. Well, Ryan Gosling seems to do it alright, but obviously Ryan Gosling isn't standing less than three feet away from her. Instead, someone even more awe-inspiring is giving her a once-over with a stare that would make a nun jealous. When Anna notices her critical gaze, Anna flashes her the roguish grin she's become famous for.

Cue the outraged shuffling of ballet flats…

"Ah, glad to see we're all here," Grand Pabbie says, interrupting the girls' examination of one another. "Kristoff is already with Olaf in the conference room. So if you'll just follow me, we can get this meeting started."

"Excuse me, Mr. Aberdeen," Elsa says, ignoring Pabbie when he rolls his eyes. "May I ask why this scoundrel is partaking in our Peer to Peer meeting?"

_Hmm… Scoundrel… I like the sound of that_, Anna thinks slyly.

"Scoundrel does seem like the proper word to describe this young lady," Grand Pabbie says, turning to his right and matching Anna's smirk. "However, she does have a purpose here. Elsa, this is Anna-"

"Yeah. I know."

"Anna, this is-"

"I know who she is," Anna bites back.

Ever the polite one, Elsa grudgingly extends her hand for the redhead to shake. When Anna slaps it, Elsa yanks her hand back with a yelp. "Cheese and crackers! What on Earth was that for?"

"Uh… a high five?" Anna asks with a disbelieving laugh at the blonde's outraged expression. "Isn't that what you were going for?"

"A simple handshake would have sufficed, thank you very much!" Elsa cries indignantly.

"Anna, this is Elsa Bjorgman. She and her brother, Kristoff, are Olaf's foster siblings," Grand Pabbie says, pointedly ignoring the conflict ensuing on either side of him.

"Wait, you're Kristoff Bjorgman's sister?" Anna asks. "I love that guy! I sit with him and Sven Gudbrandsen at lunch!"

"Speaking of which, Mr. Gudbrandsen has signed up as a peer support, as well," Grand Pabbie says, ushering the two young women accompanying him through the door of the office. "They're with me, Bulda." The secretary shoots the three of them an understanding smile and continues talking into the phone pressed to her tan-skinned cheek.

One quick trek down a narrow corridor later, Pabbie opens the door and allows Elsa and Anna to pass through before following them, shutting the door behind them. Elsa makes a beeline for the open seat to Kristoff's left, but Anna beats her to it. Resigned to sitting beside her younger brother, Elsa sinks into the cushions of the rolling chair directly across from Sven.

"Hey there, Feistypants!" Kristoff says. "I didn't know you were in the Peer to Peer program!"

"Until this morning, neither did I!" Anna grins.

"Great. Now that we're all here, I suppose it's time for us to get started," Grand Pabbie says as he takes a seat at the head of the table. He turns his head in the direction of a gangly boy with jet black hair and chocolate-colored eyes. "Olaf, since you know everyone else in the room already, how about you introduce yourself to our new friend?"

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

Anna yelps at the sudden feeling of boney arms wrapping around her from behind, Olaf having gotten to his feet and giving Anna a hug in example.

"Uh… nice to meet you, too?" Anna croaks, unsure of how to respond.

"Olaf, what have we been discussing about boundaries?" Elsa says.

Sheesh. Ice queen much?

Anna doesn't have time to ponder that, however, as Olaf's expression has turned from one of elation to one of heart-wrenching remorse. With bespectacled eyes downcast, and his head hung low, he slowly shuffles back to his seat across from the redhead.

"Hey bud, look at me, okay?" Anna asks, and Olaf's head peeks up just a little at the sound of her voice. "It's alright. You just startled me. But thank you for giving me that hug. I really needed it today."

Olaf's response is a barely audible, "you're welcome."

Taking a leap of faith, Anna reaches across the table and lifts his acne-covered chin so he can properly look at her. She smiles, and it isn't one of the pirate smiles she's notorious for donning. It's a genuinely compassionate, heartfelt smile.

"If you wouldn't mind, I could use another one," she tells him softly.

Like a switch was flipped, Olaf grins and dashes around the table. Anna meets him halfway with a powerful hug of her own. While Kristoff, Elsa, and Sven watch with flabbergasted facial expressions, Grand Pabbie allows himself a secret smile, knowing full well from the beginning that Anna joining the Peer to Peer program would have marvelous results. A short time later, Olaf pulls away and scampers back to his seat.

"Alright. Now that everyone is here and accounted for, we may formally begin. Olaf, this is Miss Anna Reid. She will be one of your peer supports this year. So you should probably get used to her."

"I don't mind!" Olaf chirps. "I bet she's the nicest, warmest, gentlest person ever! Just like Elsa!"

Elsa's eyebrows shoot into her hairline in an incredulous expression, but she is able to regain her composure half a second later. "Yeah. Just like me."

Anna snorts, but the only one who hears it is Elsa. Ignoring the fuming blonde, Anna grins cheekily at Grand Pabbie. "What do you think, gramps? Aren't I the nicest, warmest, gentlest person ever?"

Kristoff's own disbelieving snort follows soon thereafter. "Whatever you say, Feistypants."

"Anyway…" Pabbie clears his throat. "Moving on with today's meeting, since Olaf is new to the high school and Anna is new to the program as a whole, I think it best to start off with a basic outline of what the Arendelle High School Peer to Peer Program is all about; what we do, why we do it, etcetera. I'm required to meet with all of you three times a year at least. I will typically have a meeting at the beginning of the first semester, then another at the start of the second semester, and a final one with the principal and all of your parents towards the end of the second semester to review the year as a whole. However, I do encourage you to meet on your own time as often as you can. This is Peer to Peer, not Peer to Counselor to Peer.

"I will reiterate what I said to Anna during our discussion this morning about the program as a whole. It was designed as a way for students in general education to assist their peers with disabilities and are in special education. It provides them with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the experiences these students with learning disabilities go through, and as such, creates a safer, more comfortable environment in which they can prosper as successful learners.

"Anna, Olaf has what is called an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan. An IEP is a detailed description of a student's learning disabilities specialized to the student. The IEP includes a specific set of accommodations his instructors are required by law to provide for Olaf in order for him to prosper as a student. I can't discuss the full contents of his IEP with you, however, I can tell you some accommodations of his that can be easily met by you, Kristoff, Elsa, and Sven. I have prepared a list for you with a vague description of accommodations in the IEP that we have had in place in the past." Pabbie glances at the clock, and his gaze turns apologetic as he addresses the group once more. "I overestimated how much time I had, I'm afraid. Principal Thatch requested a meeting with me. I'm certain it will complete before our time is up, so I will meet back with you later." He pulls out a folded sheet of legal paper and slaps it on the desk before hustling towards the door. "Until then, you are free to come to a mutual agreement amongst yourselves as to what the year is going to look like so far. Good luck!"

Faster than expected of an old man, he exits the room and the door clicks shut ominously after him. Naturally, Anna is the first to break the tense silence by standing from her own chair and stretching her shoulders with an audible pop!

"So? What are we gonna do this year?" Anna asks, plopping gracelessly back into her rolling chair and reaching for the sheet of legal paper.

But just before her fingertips find the paper, the primness Elsa displayed earlier disintegrates, and her Ice Queen persona comes to the surface.

"There is no 'we'," she spits. "Not one that includes you, anyway."

"Beg your pardon?"

"It isn't yours to request," Elsa shoots back venomously. "Don't act like you actually want to be here. You were probably roped into this for court-ordered community service."

"Els, I wouldn't…" Kristoff warns.

"Excuse me, sweetheart, but contrary to what theories may be festering inside that enormous head of yours, I'm not on probation. In fact, I've been on the B Honor Roll every semester since I was a freshman. And since you didn't bother to ask, I'm a junior. Believe it or not, I do want to be here. If not to help Olaf, then just to piss you off."

"Ladies, ladies! There's plenty of warm hugs to go around!" Olaf chimes, oblivious to the actual point of the argument.

"I don't think they're fighting over hugs, buddy," Kristoff murmurs.

"Then what are they fighting about?" Olaf asks, gazing curiously at the stare down going on between his big sister and his new friend.

Meanwhile, the two girls in the room continue to match each other scowl for scowl. Much to Anna's pride, Elsa is the first to back down, groaning and throwing up her hands in exasperation. "Fine. Let's just get on with it. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can all go home."

"Okay, so there's obviously quite a bit of conflict going on here," Kristoff says, moving to sit down at the seat previously occupied by Grand Pabbie. "Anna, we've been friends since junior high. And Elsa, you're my sister. But for Olaf's sake, I think that for right now you two should let me take charge of this meeting because I'm a neutral party in whatever the hell kind of feud is happening right now. This is how it's gonna work today: I'm gonna read off the list of accommodations, and we will all take turns one at a time brainstorming ideas on what we can do to help meet them. Sound good?" When Anna, Elsa, and Sven nod their agreement, Kristoff unfolds the list and begins the discussion.

Forty minutes later, Pabbie comes back into the room and the plan for the year is made official. The bell ringing shortly thereafter has never been more melodious to Anna's ears; her delight in finally being able to escape the clutches of the Ice Queen almost tangible to those around her. However, that relief is short-lived when a dainty hand pulls her aside once she is safely out of the front office.

"Listen, I actually want to go somewhere in life other than… well… prison, and that means I have to go home and get a head start on being a productive member of society, so I'll be brief," Elsa says.

"By all means, hot stuff, go right ahead." Anna can't help but grin a little wider when Elsa's face darkens even further.

"First off, I am not 'sweetheart' or 'hot stuff'. I'm Elsa. No, I'm not even that to you. I'm Miss Bjorgman. My name isn't something I would voluntarily give you the satisfaction of knowing," she seethes. "Second, I don't like you."

"You don't need to be Einstein to see that one, buttercup. But it looks like you jumped the gun and did it anyway."

Elsa chooses not give Anna the satisfaction of acknowledging the jab, pressing on undeterred. "I don't like you. And it's obvious that you don't like me, either. But we're just gonna have to live with that not only for Olaf, but for Kristoff as well. They both seem to tolerate you well enough for some unfathomable reason, but I don't. And I won't. Are we clear, Miss Reid?"

"As clear as the lenses of your goggles." Anna grins. "Oh wait… I think I see a few smudges. Better go clean those, Majesty. Or I would have just inappropriately used a simile. Now wouldn't that be a shame?"

With that, Anna swaggers away, only stopping momentarily to peer over her shoulder at Elsa, who is now furiously scrubbing at her glasses with a cleaning cloth and a small spray bottle.

"Oh, and one more thing, darling," Anna calls from across the student lobby, meeting Elsa's scowl with a wicked grin. "You're right about one thing. I don't like you. But getting under your skin is my new favorite pastime. Catch you later, Majesty."

If looks could kill, Anna would have been shredded in a similar fashion to her jeans the second she restarts her swaggering walk away from a glowering blonde.

Anna pauses just one more time, shooting a coquettish wink over her shoulder at Elsa.

And damn it all, there's that godforsaken fluttering again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! Sorry this is so short, and for the fact that it took me for-fucking-ever to put this up. I've been dealing with an incredibly busy schedule as of late that has left me with a frustrating case of writer's block and little free time. So, with that said, updates will be sporadic, but rest assured, they will come. Even though this is really short, I figured a little is better than nothing, right?**

**Thanks again to my wonderful beta, ATHPluver. She's a fucking rock star.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**-Sym**

**I don't own FROZEN. If I did, Elsa's ice dress would have melted.**

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><p><em>Hmm… What do I think is an example of abuse of power?<em>

_George Orwell, you sneaky bastard_, Anna muses, her pen tapping against the page of her notebook as she attempts to hammer out an introduction to her literary analysis.

The paper was due a few days prior, but she was given leeway on the assignment in lieu of her week spent in detention. Her mind fills with instances in which The Party abuses its power in the novel _1984_, but she fails to find one she can really elaborate on. She grunts in frustration, throwing her pen down on the paper as if it is responsible for her current state of writer's block.

Like a sign from the heavens, she hears the gentle chiming of her ringtone as a call penetrates the silence of the room. However, when she sees the picture of a redheaded young man with ghastly sideburns appear on the screen of her smartphone, her previous excitement instantly evaporates.

"The fuck do you want?" she spits into the receiver.

"Whoa… Easy there, darling." He chuckles patronizingly. "I just called to talk."

"So talk, Sideburns. The fuck do you want?" Anna seethes.

"I'm still waiting for my apology—"

"Which you're not getting."

"Oh, Anna. You really think I called just to comment on that little incident in the cafeteria?" the boy asks, the sickly sweetness in his voice almost making Anna gag in repulsion.

"I wouldn't know why you called, Hans," Anna snarls. "Because you're beating around the bush like you always do."

"You think I didn't hear about our involvement in Retards Anonymous?" Hans says suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Hans says, and Anna can practically see his wicked grin as it's pressed to the receiver of his shiny, white iPhone. "You're working with that retarded freshman."

"You mean to say the Peer to Peer program?" Anna asks, her rage building quickly.

"Peer to Peer, Retards Anonymous, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe," Hans says nonchalantly. "It really doesn't matter what you call it. But I find it interesting how you're taking an interest in that Bjorgman kid all of a sudden. I suppose the court ordered some community service for our dear little Anna?"

"Fuck you."

"What was it, darling? Vandalism? Trespassing?" Hans chuckles. "Perhaps a bit of public indecency after a late night of Jägermeister and body shots? It's a shame I missed the free show. I always wondered if you had freckles in other places besides that pretty little face of yours."

"Put a damn sock in it," Anna growls.

"Or what?" Hans snorts. "You're gonna tell on me? Please, babe. My nose is still recovering from that right hook you gave me. Which, by the way, was very impressive. Kudos on that one, Red."

"Is it? Good."

"On the contrary, my dear. That little stunt you pulled just gave me leverage in this little tiff you seem to have started with me."

"So what? You just called to poke fun at my involvement with Olaf and to make false accusations about why I'm doing it?" Anna asks. "Because you're wasting your time if you think I care. And threaten me all you want, Sideburns. I don't regret punching you. You're a piece of shit. You deserved it. I'd do it again if I didn't want to spend the rest of the year with The Weasel."

"Inspiring as that little tirade you just went on may be, that still doesn't explain why you're suddenly interested in spending time with the retards."

"Olaf is not retarded, you inconsiderate fuck. He's autistic."

"Same difference."

"Was there really a point to this phone call? Because I've got more important things to do than be a sounding board for your bullshit."

"I do suppose I should let you get back to changing the retard's diaper…"

She hangs up before he can finish his remark and tosses the phone onto her desk with an angry huff. But not ten seconds later does the ringing of her phone pierce the tense silence of the room once again. "Are you fucking brain dead? Leave me alone."

"Yeesh. What did I do?"

Kristoff's voice snaps Anna out of her anger, making her face flush in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just got off the phone with a… less than respectable character."

"Hans?" Kristoff snorts.

"Nail on the head, Kristoffer."

"_Kristoff_," he corrects. "But all that aside, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"By all means, go ahead," Anna says dryly. "It seems like no one ever calls just to chit-chat with me anymore."

Ignoring her self-deprecating comment, Kristoff begins what Anna is sure to be an intense conversation. "We need to talk about what happened today with you and Elsa. Seriously. What was that?"

"I just ruffled her feathers a bit," Anna says, her smirk carrying over into her voice. "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Kristoff repeats incredulously. "Anna, the tension between you two was so thick that _Olaf _picked up on it. When we got home he asked me why you and his big sister hate each other. That's why I'm calling, actually. Your and Elsa's behavior made him extremely upset. I want to know what, exactly, caused the bitterness between you two so maybe we can work out a compromise. Olaf's success in the program depends on it."

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"Alright. Fine," Anna huffs. "I don't know if you remember, but Elsa and I were really good friends up until middle school."

"Yeah, I remember that. But when we were in, like, seventh grade and she was in eighth you two just stopped talking. I never knew why."

"Well, I'm telling you now." Anna sighs. "Well, here it goes, I guess…"

_Four Years Earlier…_

Anna had expected to be stared at.

She spent nearly a week mentally preparing herself for all sorts of possible scenarios that could happen on her first day of seventh grade. She had planned to respond to the wide eyes and plummeting jaws with irritated scowls and clenched fists. She had planned to stalk down the linoleum hallway of the school in her shredded skinny jeans and black hi-top Chuck Taylors and glare at her reflection in the display cases on the walls.

So that's what she did.

In one summer, Anna Reid managed to do a complete one-eighty from the girl she was in sixth grade. It wasn't a transformation she ever expected to make. But life is unpredictable.

Then again, so is death.

Anna could never be the sweet, innocent little girl she once was. That little girl reminded her too much of the grandmother she lost that summer. She could no longer live in striped sweaters and boot-cut jeans the way she once did. Lorraine was always a fan of stripes. She had raised a granddaughter in a world of stripes, denim, and marigolds. But Armageddon came to that world in the form of a stroke that killed Lorraine in her sleep.

"Anna! Wait up!" An ivory-skinned blonde in a pleated skirt and cardigan suddenly bursts into Anna's line of sight. "Wow. You look different."

Anna chuckles humorlessly. "No kidding. New year, new me, right?"

"Are you sure this is the new you?" Elsa asks. "I can understand what happened with Lorraine might have—"

"Might have what?" Anna asks. "Might have made me realize that the world isn't as sunshine and rainbow-tastic as I thought? Might have inspired this little change of attire?"

In the blink of an eye, Elsa's facial expression goes from concerned to emotionless sobriety; a coping mechanism Anna is all too familiar with. "Yes. I should have known this would happen."

"What?" Anna's eyes darken in pained anger. "You knew what exactly, would happen, Miss Bjorgman?"

"Death changes people," Elsa says, her voice still lacking emotion.

"That's the understatement of the year." Anna lets out a bark of laughter.

Anna, you're not who you once were." Elsa's eyes betray the pain her voice doesn't.

"Damn right I'm not."

"This behavior you're showing everyone isn't who you are, though."

"Well, you seem to be the only one who thinks so."

"Anna, I know—"

"No. You don't," Anna interrupts, putting her hand up to halt Elsa's words. "You don't know me. And if you can't accept this part of me, we can't be friends."

A pause.

"Anna, I'm sorry. But I can't." Elsa averts her gaze from Anna's piercing teal eyes, allowing but a single tear to fall down her cheek.

"Liar." Anna's voice quivers, but Elsa doesn't notice it. "Apologies with the word 'but' in them aren't real apologies. You're not sorry. And if you're not sorry, then neither am I. Good day, Miss Bjorgman."

Without a word, Anna shoves past Elsa. When she turns around, all she sees is the flitting of a plaid skirt accompanied by the clack of Elsa's ballet flats as she stomps away. This only adds fuel to her pain and anger, and she stalks away in the opposite direction with a lethal glare at the linoleum floor below her.

If Anna had turned around just a second earlier, she would have seen a single tear cascade down the porcelain cheek of her most trusted friend from childhood.

_Present Day_

"Wow. Bitches, man."

"Thanks, Kristoff," Anna says dryly. "So what kind of compromise do you have in mind?"

"I want you to stay out of trouble. No detention, no trips to the principal's office, no nothing. And I will find out from Uncle Pabbie and Aunt Bulda if anything like that happens."

"Aren't there laws about that sort of thing?" Anna asks with a laugh.

"We're family. Privacy laws be damned," Kristoff says. "Now let me finish."

"Righty-o, Kristoffer. The floor is yours."

"Dammit, Anna! It's Kristoff! Stop changing the subject!" Kristoff exclaims.

"I didn't. You did," Anna says, and Kristoff doesn't have to see her to know that she's wearing that aggravatingly smug little grin of hers.

"Whatever," Kristoff grunts. "Anyway, this will help you prove to Elsa that you're not a slacker. Which, by the way, leads me to another part of our deal."

"And that is?"

"I want you to try and befriend Elsa again."

"Are you fucking insane?!" Anna shouts. "She'd never agree to this. I won't agree to this. She turned her back on me when I needed her most! She's an ice queen in every sense of the phrase!"

"As I recall from your story, you were the one who turned your back on her," Kristoff retorts calmly.

"Only because she couldn't accept that I'd changed!"

"Anna, I remember when you first started with the whole punk thing, too, you know. I didn't know what exactly happened between you and Elsa, or why, but it wasn't like I was unaware of your transformation," Kristoff says. "From the person you were when Elsa and I saw you last and the person we saw on the first day of school, the difference was like night and day. I can understand why it was so hard for Elsa to accept. Hell, it was hard for _me_ to accept it. And you knew how Elsa reacts to changes like that. Transitions are still hard for her. You've got to understand that relationships are two-person endeavors. From start to finish, it's two people who are compatible with one another. I can't say that Elsa wasn't a catalyst for the ending of your friendship with her. But I can't say she was the only reason it ended, either. Relationships are two-sided. Both of you deserve equal amounts of blame for what happened. And until you and Elsa see that, your friendship can't be revived."

"But why does it need to be revived?" Anna asks. "Why do you care so much that we make amends?"

"For Olaf. He won't succeed when two of his most trusted sources of guidance are at each other's throats. And for Elsa, because as much as you two hate to admit, she misses you, and I know you miss her," Kristoff says. "And if you don't make an effort to improve your behavior and make amends with Elsa, I will ask Uncle Pabbie to remove you from the program. We both know Elsa is already on board, so it shouldn't be too hard to build a solid case against you."

"Are you really blackmailing me?" Anna asks incredulously.

"Is it working?"

Anna pauses, contemplating what her next course of action should be. After a moment, she sighs. "Yeah. It's working."

"So do we have a deal?"

"Yup. I don't know how you did it, Reindeer Boy, but I guess I'm in this for the long haul."

"Oh come on! Gale's doesn't even have that many reindeer!" Kristoff shouts indignantly.

"Says the guy who gets a little too much enjoyment around Christmastime when Santa's Village opens up and you get to work the petting zoo."

Kristoff groans. "Whatever. I've gotta go. Dorothy wanted me to call her about switching shifts with me tomorrow. Have a good night, Red."

"Catch you later, Reindeer King."

"So now I'm Reindeer King? I thought I was Reindeer Boy," Kristoff says smugly.

"And I thought you had a phone call to make," Anna retorts.

"So do you, actually," he says. "Now, I'm going to give you ten seconds to find a piece of paper and something to write with, and then you're going to write down this number I only plan on saying once. Ten…"

"Are you seriously doing this right now?" Anna asks incredulously.

"Eight..." Kristoff ignores her.

Knowing now that Kristoff was, in fact, serious in his demand, Anna scrambles to her bed for her notebook and a pen. With an ungraceful plop, Anna returns to her desk chair and tears out a blank sheet of lined paper from her notebook.

"Two… One and three quarters…"

"I get it, I get it. Now cut that out," Anna growls.

"But I haven't reached the bottom of the countdown yet!" Kristoff whines petulantly.

"Fine. Whatever," Anna grumbles. "Just make it quick."

"One and one half… One and one quarter… One and one eighth…"

"Dammit, Kristoff, will you just get on with it!" Anna exclaims.

"You ready?" he asks.

"I was born ready, you ass. Just get on with it."

"Calm down. The number is five-one-four…"

Anna writes down the numbers as fast as Kristoff spouts them at her. "Can you at least tell me whose number this is and why you are so adamant that I call this guy?"

"All I can tell you is that someday, you're going to thank me for giving you her number," Kristoff says. "I've gotta go."

"For real this time?" Anna asks, chuckling.

"For real," he affirms. "Have a good one, Red."

"See ya, Kris."

With that, Anna hangs up the phone. For a moment, all she can do is stare thoughtfully at the numbers scribbled haphazardly on the otherwise blank sheet of paper.

"I guess now is as good a time as any," Anna murmurs with a sigh. "Kristoff, I hope you know what you're doing."

She punches the numbers into her Galaxy, and with great trepidation, hits the call button. Two and a half rings later, a voice that is distinctly female answers with a curious "Hello?" Anna's heart plummets. _That son of a…_

"Elsa?" she croaks.

"Yes? Who is this?"

Anna hangs up.

_Well, shit._

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus points to anyone who caught the <em>Wizard of Oz<em> reference thrown in there!**


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